Prayer Without Words

There are times in life when there seem to be no words to speak in prayer to God, times when one seems to be in a situation beyond words.

When I was in hospital recently, not knowing what was happening to me, I found myself just lying there asking nothing of God. I didn’t know what to ask for, so I just rested, letting the hospital staff do their best for me.

Later, after I came home from the hospital, I wondered why I had not prayed for my health to be restored or asked God to give me a good recovery. Five years ago, when I was going through open heart surgery to replace my defective valves, I remember praying almost every waking moment, and I wondered why I made no prayers to God this time around.

I began to chastise myself for not praying to God while I was so sick, but then I realized that there was no need for prayers in the form of words for I was in a state of complete trust in God that he would do what was best for me. I was resting in the knowledge that whatever happened I was with God and God was with me. In the words of Julian of Norwich, “All will be well and all manner of things will be well.”

It was a matter of faith that the outcome of this illness was in God’s hands. I could rest in the boat with Christ while the seas raged around us. Many others were praying for me and their prayers were going up to heaven. My task was to rest and trust that the will of God would be done.

No words were needed in this situation; this was a time for prayer without words.